Blog - Brookhaven Town Democratic Committeehttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/blog
Our Stance on Proposal 1<p><strong>Proposal 1 is a proposition appearing on the 2018 election ballot for all Brookhaven voters. </strong></p>
<p>It would amend the Town Code of Brookhaven to establish a term limit of three (3) four-year terms for Brookhaven Town elected officials, and extend the term of office for those officials from two (2) years to four (4) years, beginning on January 1, 2020.</p>
<p><strong>The Background</strong> -</p>
<p>With little more than two weeks’ notice the Republican-dominated Brookhaven Town Board put the resolution for this referendum on the calendar at a Town meeting on August 2nd, 2018.</p>
<ul>
<li>NO public hearings were held</li>
<li>NO period of public comment,</li>
<li>NO input from the Town Attorney</li>
<li>NO request made to the Attorney General’s office to weigh-in on pertinent legal questions regarding the referendum.<br><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p>When the town meeting was held, the residents who did show up to speak in opposition to this referendum were shouted at and bullied.</p>
<p>What the Board members said:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Two-year terms make it difficult to get anything done, when you have to campaign and raise money every other year.<br><br></em></li>
</ul>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Every single member of the Town Council was re-elected with more than 60% of the vote, except for one. (Some of them routinely win with over 75% of the vote). On average, they raise $60,000. Campaigning is an important part of our democratic process, and they want to avoid going to the voters.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Every other town in Suffolk County has four-year term lengths, except for Brookhaven.<br><br></em></li>
</ul>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Brookhaven is the <strong>only</strong> town in Suffolk County with a Councilmanic or “Ward” system. <strong>All other towns with four year terms <u>ARE NOT.</u> <em>NY State’s Town Law Sec. 85 is very clear in that two-year term lengths are required for elected officials under a Ward system.</em></strong></p>
<p>BROOKHAVEN ALREADY HAS TERM LIMITS ON THE BOOK! It was passed by referendum in 2003. The Solicitor General has concluded that two-year term lengths are <u>mandatory for a Ward system of governance under state law</u>.</p>
<p>This is an attempt to calcify Republican domination over Brookhaven government. There are some council members who have already served 12 years. This measure would re-set the clock, allowing them to stay in office as long as they want, making it THEIR choice, not ours.</p>
<p><strong>VOTE NO! </strong></p>Mon, 29 Oct 2018 23:56:00 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/our_stance_on_proposal_1
Maddow Covers Zeldin Flyer Misprint<p>Check out this Maddow segment featuring some interesting tidbits about Lee Zeldin and his campaign. </p>
<p><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fk3pK9dspnDQ%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent&amp;wmode=transparent&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dk3pK9dspnDQ&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fk3pK9dspnDQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=e23856ccc1f011e0b5e44040d3dc5c07&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="600" height="338" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Mon, 29 Oct 2018 23:52:00 -0400Aaron Clowhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/maddow_covers_zeldin_flyer_misprint
Get Out The Vote Rally with Gershon, Swalwell, and Bellone<p>Join us at Perry Gershon's Farmingville Office this Saturday for a Get Out The Vote Rally with Congressional Candidate Perry Gershon, Congressman Eric Swalwell, and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone!</p>
<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/134/attachments/original/1539269027/gotv_rally_farmingville-page-001.jpg?1539269027" alt="gotv_rally_farmingville-page-001.jpg" width="1275" height="1650"></p>
<p> </p>Thu, 11 Oct 2018 10:42:00 -0400Aaron Clowhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/get_out_the_vote_rally_with_gershon
Vote for Judge Theresa Whelan on Thursday<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/131/attachments/original/1536729487/Screen_Shot_2018-09-06_at_1.16.36_PM.png?1536729487" alt="" width="1178" height="661"></p>Wed, 12 Sep 2018 01:17:00 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/vote_for_judge_theresa_whelan
Candidates Gershon and Cleary Speak at Thursday's TVDC Meeting<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/132/attachments/original/1536729708/image.png?1536729708" alt="" width="1098" height="960"></p>Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:21:00 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/candidates_gershon_and_cleary_speak_at_thursday_s_tvdc_meeting
Brookhaven Democratic Executive Committee Endorses Judge Whelan<p>The Executive Board of the Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee has overwhelmingly endorsed Judge Theresa Whelan for Suffolk Surrogate Judge.</p>
<p>“Theresa Whelan is a life-long Democrat. She has served on the bench for ten years and is the only truly qualified candidate to serve as surrogate judge,” said Brookhaven Democratic Chair Lillian Clayman. </p>
<p>“To run a Republican in a Democratic primary is an all-out assault on our party and the values that we stand for,” Clayman said. “We will be waging a campaign against this attempt to hijack our party by the Republicans. It’s dirty tricks, plain and simple.” </p>
<p>Longtime Democratic activist and First Council District Leader Barry McCoy said, "It is outrageous that there are supporters of Tara Scully in the Democratic Party who are attempting to deny the public a choice for the Surrogate court judgeship by supporting a Republican to be a candidate on the Democratic line. Party lines should be restricted to party members. New York law should be changed to forbid the process of cross endorsement which is a major source of corruption."</p>
<p>Scully, a registered Republican, is challenging Theresa Whelan for the Democratic line in a primary to be held on September 13<sup>th</sup>.</p>
<p>“As Democrats, we will stand should to shoulder against the Republicans and their enablers who want to destroy our party and what we stand for,” said Clayman. </p>Mon, 03 Sep 2018 23:42:00 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/brookhaven_democratic_executive_committee_endorses_judge_whelan
Rules for Gathering Signatures<p>The following rules are applicable for committee members who will be collecting signatures for petitions. </p>
<ol>
<li>Petition carriers must be a registered Democrat.</li>
<li>All petition signers must be registered Democrats who are registered to vote in the district where the candidate is running.</li>
<li>The dates the voters sign must be in chronological order top to bottom of the sheet, June 4, June 6, June 9, etc. (or 6/6; 6/6; 6/9...).</li>
<li>Petition Carriers cannot sign a petition sheet that they are carrying, because you cannot witness the collection of your own signature. You may sign a different page of a petition if it is gathered and witnessed by a different person.</li>
<li>Petition carriers must actually see the petition being signed by the voter.</li>
<li>All signatures must be in blue or black ink. Never use pencil.</li>
<li>Persons should sign the petitions with the same name as they are listed. Tell the voter how they are registered before they sign to avoid mistakes. No one may sign for another person. Women must sign their own first name and not their spouse’s. Do not use titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.).</li>
<li>The date the voter signs should be filled in when the voter signs the petition.</li>
<li>The Law requires that the only thing the voter must fill out on the petition sheet is his or her signature. They should use their actual signature, not print their name. The petition carrier can fill in the addresses. We suggest that the voter’s signature is the only information that should be filled out by the voter on the petition. Before the voter signs, you should print clearly and legibly on the petition, in the voters presence, the date. However, it is not wrong or incorrect for the voter to fill in all the information him or herself. If the voter desires to do so, let the voter fill in the information. Just be sure the date, the address, and the printed name are correct and legible and that the voter signs on the correct line.</li>
<li>Do not erase, cross out, or white out errors. If in error or in doubt, cross out the entire line and go to the next line below the line and have them sign properly. Do not try to correct mistakes after you have left the voter.</li>
<li>Do not abbreviate names or addresses, except St., Ave., etc. Never use ditto marks.</li>
<li>No Post Office Box numbers in place of the address of the signer. No zip codes, just the street address and the Village or Hamlet name. Example: 123 Smith Ave. Medford</li>
</ol>
<p>Larry Tierney - Democratic Party Volunteer 776-9008</p>Sun, 18 Mar 2018 18:37:18 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/rules_for_gathering_signatures
Ballot Proposals and Voting Information<p>Many of you have asked about the Ballot Proposals.</p>
<p>Much thanks to Larry Tierney for putting together the information below:<br> <br>PROPOSAL ONE - VOTE NO 😠<strong><br>Constitutional Convention - </strong>Shall there be a convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same? <br> <br>This effort for a yes vote is supported by Reclaim NY, an organization funded by Robert Mercer who is Stephen Bannon’s financial backer. <br> <br>PROPOSAL TWO - VOTE YES 😀<br>An amendment allowing the complete or partial forfeiture of a public officer's pension if he or she is convicted of a certain type of felony. <br> <br>PROPOSAL THREE - VOTE YES😀<br>An amendment authorizing the Use of Forest Preserve Land for Specified Purposes.<br> <br>The proposed amendment will create a land account with up to 250 acres of forest preserve land eligible for use by towns, villages, and counties that have no viable alternative to using forest preserve land to address specific public health and safety concerns; as a substitute for the land removed from the forest preserve, another 250 acres of land, will be added to the forest preserve, subject to legislative approval. The proposed amendment also will allow bicycle trails and certain public utility lines to be located within the width of specified highways that cross the forest preserve while minimizing removal of trees and vegetation. Shall the proposed amendment be approved? <br> <br>(The <a href="http://nylcv.org/region/long-island/" target="_blank">NY League of Conservation Voters</a> is a good source. They recommend a Yes Vote - You can google them to see for yourself. They are good at parsing out election propositions written in legalese and translating them into plain English. <br><br>---</p>
<p><em><strong>Instructions When Voting By Absentee Ballot</strong></em><br><br>When voting, carefully fill in each circle next to all 14 candidates names. Do not write anything on the ballot or it may be disqualified. When you mail back the ballot be sure to sign the OUTSIDE of the supplied envelope where indicated. Put your filled out ballot in that envelope, seal it and put it in the self-addressed envelope supplied. You must add a postage stamp to the outer envelope. The deadline for returning the filled out ballot is that it must be postmarked no later than Monday Nov. 6th, the day before Election Day, Nov.7th. </p>Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:39:00 -0400Aaron Clowhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/ballot_proposals_and_voting_information
Responses to Donald Trump's Remarks on Infrastructure<p>On Tuesday, August 15th, 2017, Donald Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower and answered questions from the press in what will be remembered for a long time as the most bizarre, offensive, and divisive remarks ever given by a sitting President of the United States. Although the controversial points of this "speech" centered around President Trump attempting to construct a false equivalency between peaceful protesters and white supremacists, the title of the Q&amp;A session is officially known as "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/08/15/remarks-president-trump-infrastructure" target="_blank">Remarks by President Trump on Infrastructure</a>." In this blog entry, we are posting some statements from our 2017 Democratic candidates in reaction to the President's remarks.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>"I was saddened, disgusted, and downright terrified by the hate and ignorance on display in Charlottesville, VA this weekend. Everyone in this country has both a civic duty and a moral obligation to stand up and speak out in the face of unadulterated bigotry—in the face of evil people who assault the values of equality and tolerance that have buttressed this nation for over two-hundred years. The President of the United States has that duty and obligation above all others. I had the very brief privilege of interning for President Obama in the White House Counsel’s Office after I graduated from law school. President Obama was absolutely correct when he tweeted that “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” That sentiment stands in stark contrast to what we heard today from President Trump. Simply put, there are not two sides to an argument when one side is carrying swatsikas. Our elected leaders at all levels, from the President to the most local official, have a duty to speak out against those who preach hate and those who give them cover. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Heather Heyer, the families of the two Virginia State Police officers who died, the other victims of the domestic terrorist attacks in Charlottesville, and anyone in this country who still suffers at the hands of such intolerance."</p>
<p>-- <em>Jack Harrington, Democratic Candidate for Brookhaven Town Supervisor</em></p>
<p>"When you wonder if national politics ever affect local events, think of the innocent people fighting against white nationalists coming to their community and a President who doesn't condemn the ensuing violence. Today and every day I stand with anyone and everyone who fights against hatred."</p>
<p>--<em> Cindy Morris, Democratic Candidate for Brookhaven Town Clerk</em></p>
<p>"A young woman has died on American streets at the hands of a Nazi, and when pressed on the issue some of our leaders have decided to equivocate and to distract us with talk of statues and history. When confronted with this news - that a white supremacist rally has ended with a white supremacist murdering someone - the response should never be to say "there is blame on both sides" and that a group of white nationalists contained "very fine people." I urge everyone, wherever they may fall on the political spectrum, to look inside of themselves and realize that on this issue these people are wrong. A good leader should not further the divides in our nation by emboldening racists and bigots. I hold out hope for an America led boldly with of love, patience, introspection, and understanding. I believe it is the duty of all of our leaders to demonstrate such character, and I look forward to their statements condemning hate and violence."</p>
<p>-- <em>Mike Goodman, Democratic Candidate for Brookhaven Town 2nd Council District</em></p>
<p>"When our elected representatives fail to uphold their oath to support and defend the Constitution and all it represents, then it becomes time for us to vigorously work to ensure that these individuals no longer hold elected office."</p>
<p>--<em> Lisa Di Santo, Democratic Candidate for Brookhaven Town 5th Council District</em></p>
<p>"At times like this when there is so much tension over the latest terrorist murder in Charlottesville, true leadership, at all levels, rises to the occasion. The ongoing rants of those supporting racism, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy are an affront to Americans. These acts and words are not just the rants of some fringe groups but represent the feelings of too many people. We need leadership that will step up and call out those who would look to divide our country and deny rights to American citizens. Rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Many Americans have died fighting for our freedoms and it is an affront to them to see the lack of backbone by many of the elected's. Those in office, at every level, who have not stood up show that they really aren't that offended by the actions of these groups and it is politically more comfortable for them to stand by and do nothing. Maybe that is what they do best."</p>
<p>-- <em>Art Turkington, Democratic Candidate for Brookhaven Town 6th Council District</em></p>Sat, 19 Aug 2017 23:30:00 -0400Aaron Clowhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/responses_to_donald_trump_infrastructure_speech
Jack Harrington Releases Bold Ethics Plan for Brookhaven Town<p>Jack Harrington, Democratic candidate for Brookhaven Town Supervisor, released a bold ethics plan to clean up Brookhaven Town.<br><br>Jack knows that there is a real cost to corruption. Every dollar that goes to an ill-gotten contract is a dollar increase in your taxes, a dollar taken away from our schools, and a dollar taken away from vital services to our seniors.<br><br>As the next Town Supervisor, Jack's plan will:<br><br>- Enact term limits for elected officials; <br>- Create an online contracting and vendor database, so every resident can see how their tax dollars are being spent; <br>- Enhance Contracting Disclosure Law;<br>- Strengthen the Board of Ethics; and <br>- Create an independent Inspector General to investigate Town contracts and root out corruption. <br> <br>But let's face it, campaigns cost money and Jack is taking on a well-oiled political machine that has been running for 30 years. Can Jack count on you for a grassroots donation of <a href="https://act.myngp.com/el/4578445524841531904/-5829250085889242624" target="_blank">$25</a>, <a href="https://act.myngp.com/el/4578445524841531904/-5829250085889242624" target="_blank">$50</a>, or even <a href="https://act.myngp.com/el/4578445524841531904/-5829250085889242624" target="_blank">$75</a> so he can take his campaign directly to the people of Brookhaven? <br> <br>With your support, Jack will be able to deliver real reform in Brookhaven. <br> <br>Onward,<br> <br>Andrew Brockwell<br>Campaign Manager<br>Harrington for Supervisor</p>Fri, 11 Aug 2017 01:22:04 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/jack_harrington_releases_bold_ethics_plan_for_brookhaven_town
Tim Sini Speaks at Brookhaven Dems HQ<p><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/114/attachments/original/1501215435/IMG_1653.jpg?1501215435" alt="IMG_1653.jpg" width="800" height="600" /><br><br>Due to an influx of new BTDC members since the beginning of the year, the monthly Brookhaven Democratic Town Committee meeting was split between Monday, July 24th and Wednesday, July 26th and featured guest speaker Tim Sini, Suffolk County Police Commissioner. Sini is currently running as the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County District Attorney and has the backing of the Suffolk County Benevolent Association, The Superior Officers Association, and the Suffolk County Police Conference for that position. <a href="https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/newsday-news-12-special-report-suffolk-police-commissioner-timothy-sini-reflects-on-first-year-1.12884224" target="_blank">Newsday ran a special report earlier this year</a> where Sini discussed the progress he has made since joining the SCPD, as well as some of the challenges he faced coming in. Both meetings featured lengthy question and answer sessions where Sini addressed topics ranging from the opioid crisis, to gang violence, to his ideas on how to foster more transparency in law enforcement institutions. For more information on Tim and his positions on the issues, visit the <a href="https://www.timsini.com/" target="_blank">Tim Sini for District Attorney website</a>.</p>Fri, 28 Jul 2017 00:18:00 -0400Aaron Clowhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/tim_sini_speaks_at_brookhaven_dems_hq
Jack Harrington, Attorney & Navy Reservist, To Run for Brookhaven Town Supervisor<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Immediate Release: May 18, 2017</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contact: Andrew Brockwell, <a style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #166cc5;" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">631-830-5440<br></a></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jack Harrington, Attorney and Navy Reservist, To Run for Brookhaven Town Supervisor</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br><img style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;" src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/105/attachments/original/1495168165/Harrington_Headshot_%281%29.jpg?1495168165" alt="Harrington_Headshot_(1).jpg" width="174" height="174" />Stony Brook, NY – Local attorney, community leader, and U.S Navy Reserve officer, Jack Harrington, has launched a campaign committee to run for Brookhaven Town Supervisor. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>Born and raised in Brookhaven Town, Harrington chairs of the International Regulatory and Compliance practice group at Campolo, Middleton &amp; McCormick, LLP in Ronkonkoma. Prior to joining Campolo, he was a Senior Associate at WilmerHale, LLP and served as an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Stony Brook University. Harrington has advised companies of all sizes, from small local businesses to Fortune 100 corporations. Harrington previously worked in the national security sector and serves as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Earlier in his career, he interned on the Senate Homeland Security Committee and in the White House Counsel’s Office. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>Harrington noted that “I returned to Brookhaven years ago to raise a family, and I want my two-year-old son to be as proud as I am to have been born and raised in this community. We face several challenges in the years ahead and local government needs strong, principled, and effective leadership to ensure that we protect the middle class, preserve our environment, and bring high-paying jobs back to Brookhaven. Government exists to promote the interests of its residents; we must come together to build sustainable and vibrant communities where our young graduates can afford to set down roots. Brookhaven Town can and must do more to make government more accountable, more transparent, and a help—not a hindrance—to our small businesses and residents.” </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>Harrington is proud to have the support of local elected officials, including Suffolk County Legislators Rob Calarco, Kara Hahn, and Sarah Anker, and Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright. According to Calarco, “Jack is a proud product of this community. The son of a Three Village public school teacher, I know that Jack will serve the interests of all residents and work tirelessly every day to build a Town poised to seize the opportunities of the future.” </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Segoe UI'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 1.2;" dir="ltr"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br>Since 2008, Harrington has been a Truman National Security Fellow. He co-founded the Linda Ross-Harrington Foundation, a local education non-profit and was recently named by the Long Island Business News as one of its “40 under 40.” Harrington attended Miller Place schools. He graduated with honors from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and received his M.A. in International Security from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Harrington earned his law degree from Yale where he was Editor-in-Chief of Yale Journal of International law. He lives in Stony Brook with his wife, Sarah, and their son, Jack Jr., and attends St. James Episcopal Church where he served as a member of the Church Vestry. </span></p>Fri, 19 May 2017 00:31:31 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/jack_harrington_to_run_for_brookhaven_town_supervisor
You Know What To Do!<p><strong>Lee Zeldin's Patchogue office is (631) 289-1097.</strong><br> <br>The vote on Trumpcare is expected to be held tomorrow.<br><br> <img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/104/attachments/original/1493862931/Zeldin.jpg?1493862931" alt="Zeldin.jpg" width="1166" height="587" /></p>Wed, 03 May 2017 21:56:00 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/you_know_what_to_do
Community Discussion with Josh Slaughter<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/98/attachments/original/1489811840/CalltoActionApril4Slaughter-page-001.jpg?1489811840" alt="CalltoActionApril4Slaughter-page-001.jpg" /></p>Sat, 18 Mar 2017 00:37:48 -0400Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/community_discussion_with_josh_slaughter
Words of Wisdom from Rev. William Barber<p>Watch... Listen...</p>
<p><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FHcdgz7lMcSg%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent%26feature%3Doembed&amp;wmode=transparent&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHcdgz7lMcSg&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FHcdgz7lMcSg%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=e1208cbfb854483e8443b1ed081912ee&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="600" height="338" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>Thu, 09 Mar 2017 01:27:00 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/words_of_wisdom_from_rev_william_barber
Brain Food from The Atlantic<p>Once in a while, I like to share an article or information that I think you might enjoy. Today it's an article from The Atlantic - <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/10/how-democrats-killed-their-populist-soul/504710/" target="_blank">How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul</a>.</p>
<p>The Democratic Party has a big tent. Yet over the years, we have lost touch with many people who the popular media labels as "working class whites."</p>
<p>Just last week, I was reading an article in which the author was addressing the need for Democrats to organize by going door-to-door in neighborhoods by talking to voters. Activists, the article stated, should "think of it as having deep Terry Gross conversations." Boy, did the underlying class bias of that sentence make my hair stand on end!</p>
<p>The article addresses the historical roots of those kind of assumptions. It's my hope that it broadens the way we think about our party and what we stand for. It's long but the intent is to encourage further discussion.</p>
<p>There are no easy answers to reshaping our party. There are no bumper sticker solutions or pithy posts on social media. And we shouldn't think that someone from Washington is going to provide those answers. It doesn't matter who the chairman of the DNC is or who staffs the offices of the DCCC.</p>
<p>We have to provide the answers.</p>
<p>Since we already know who we are against, it is now our responsibility to define what we stand for.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/10/how-democrats-killed-their-populist-soul/504710/" target="_blank">Check out the article here</a> &lt;- link opens in a new window</p>Thu, 09 Mar 2017 00:01:00 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/brain_food_from_the_atlantic
Lee Zeldin's Live on Facebook Tonight<p>UPDATE: An archive of Lee Zeldin's Facebook Live session can be found at the link listed below for those constituents interested to know which questions he chose to answer and also which ones (by their glaring absence) he probably avoided.<br><br>----<br><br>Here's an opportunity to ask Lee Zeldin why he voted to get rid of healthcare, to gut labor laws, and to line the pockets of the 1% even more!<br><br>From Zeldin:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Tonight, at 7:30 PM, I will host my first Facebook Live session from Washington, D.C. on my Facebook page at <a style="color: #1458bd;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/RepLeeZeldin" target="_blank">Facebook.Com/RepLeeZeldin</a></strong>.<strong> <br> <br> </strong>During the Facebook Live session, <span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-style: solid;">I will provide an update from our nation's Capitol on my work in Congress and answer questions from constituents from the comfort of your own homes</span>. NY-1 constituents can comment throughout the Facebook Live session and ask a question at any point.<br> <br> If you are interested in participating, please go to my Facebook page tonight at 7:30 PM.<br> <br> If you’re unable to participate, and would still like to submit a question, please submit one <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepLeeZeldin/posts/725905937578193" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I look forward to answering your questions!</p>
<p>That's Lee, always hiding!</p>Tue, 07 Mar 2017 13:29:00 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/lee_zeldin_s_live_on_facebook_tonight
Open Positions at Ronkonkoma and Seasonal Parks<p>From time to time, the BTDC is notified about private and government positions open in the area. We will be adding these listings to a special area of our website in the near future after we re-organize some things, but for now we're posting them here in case anyone is interested in applying. For any of these positions, you can follow instructions in the listings, or use the "Contact Us" button at the top of the page to get in touch, and we'll respond with more information.<br><br> <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/93/attachments/original/1488742201/_17-09_Maintenance_Assistant.pdf?1488742201" target="_blank">Maintenance Assistant - Ronkonkoma (two vacancies) - PDF Download</a></p>
<p><a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/93/attachments/original/1488742209/Seasonal_Parks_Position.xlsx?1488742209" target="_blank">Seasonal Parks Positions - Excel Spreadsheet Download</a></p>
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<p> </p>Sun, 05 Mar 2017 14:37:00 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/open_positions_at
Feb 22nd Meeting Highlights<p>The latest BTDC meeting on February 22nd was another packed house. We welcomed 56 new members, and Alyssa Miller, Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parentood Hudson Peconic, spoke about the GOP attacks on women's health and how to fight back.</p>
<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/91/attachments/original/1488145604/20170222a.jpg?1488145604" alt="" width="700" height="500"></p>
<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/91/attachments/original/1488145608/20170222b.jpg?1488145608" alt="" width="700" height="500"></p>
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<p> </p>Sun, 26 Feb 2017 16:48:04 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/feb_22nd_meeting_highlights
Feb 16th Meeting with Rob Calarco<p>Over 150 Brookhaven residents gather in Coram with Legislator Rob Calarco leading the discussion on how to preserve our Democracy.</p>
<p><img src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/brookhavendemocrats/pages/92/attachments/original/1488146058/20170216a.jpg?1488146058" alt="" width="700" height="500"></p>Thu, 16 Feb 2017 22:55:00 -0500Lillian Claymanhttp://www.brookhavendemocrats.com/feb_16th_meeting_with_rob_calarco